This invention relates to an input display apparatus comprising a display member of such display apparatus as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or the like and a transparent touch panel superposed on the display member and provided with touch key elements.
Although the input display apparatus of this invention can be used for other applications, since it is most suitable for an injection molding machine for molding products having a relatively large thickness and required to have precise dimensions and a small internal stress, such as optical lenses, the invention will be described as applied to such an injection molding machine.
A copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 140,145, filed on Dec. 29, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,095 discloses a method and apparatus for injection compression molding of the type described above.
The apparatus for operating an injection compression molding machine described in the U.S. patent application comprises a stationary metal mold, a movable metal mold, an oil pressure actuator for advancing the movable metal mold toward the stationary metal mold to form a mold cavity therebetween while leaving a predetermined compression clearance .delta. between the movable and stationary metal molds, a heating cylinder engaging the stationary metal mold, means for supplying a thermoplastic resin into the heating cylinder, a screw contained in the heating cylinder for injecting molten resin into the mold cavity, means for rotating the screw, means for reciprocating the screw in the heating cylinder, a screw position detector for detecting an axial position of the screw, a plurality of screw position setters respectively setting predetermined screw positions along which the screw is moved, a plurality of comparators respectively comparing output signals of the screw position setters with the output signal of the screw position detector, a plurality of mold clamping force setters connected to receive output signals of respective comparators, a transfer switch for selecting one of the output signals of the mold clamping force setters, and an electromagnetic transfer valve energized by an output signal of the transfer switch through a control device for actuating the oil pressure actuator. There is also provided a timer for setting the rotation time of the screw, that is the filling time of the molten resin.
The injection compression machine described above operates as follows. When the filling step is completed, the screw reaches the forward limit position. Then, the metal molds are opened by moving the movable metal mold to take out the molded product. After that, the metal molds are partially closed while leaving a predetermined compression clearance .delta. therebetween. For preparing the next filling step, the molten resin is stored in the heating cylinder in front of the screw by rotating the same. The screw is retracted by the cylinder while being rotated by the oil pressure motor. When the screw position detector detects a predetermined screw position, a signal is issued so that the electromagnetic transfer valve is moved to a position to block the pressurized oil discharged from the injection cylinder. Consequently, the screw continues to rotate at that predetermined position, whereby the molten resin is accumulated in the space in front of the screw for an interval set by the timer. After elapse of a time set by the timer, the electromagnetic transfer valve is brought to a position for advancing the screw by the injection cylinder so as to inject the molten resin accumulated in the space in front of the screw into the mold cavity under a high pressure. As the screw reaches a predetermined position, for example a position set by the screw position setter, and during the injection stroke, the mold clamping cylinder is actuated to clamp together the stationary and movable metal molds so as to decrease the clearance .delta.. Consequently, the problem of insufficient quantity of the injected resin at each shot and the problem of creating internal stress can be solved.
In an injection molding machine especially in an injection compression molding machine, it is advantageous to provide a transparent touch panel provided with a plurality of touch key elements and superposed on such a display member as a cathode ray tube. A prior art input display device utilizing touch keys shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 comprises a transparent touch panel 50 including a timer display setting member 10, an injection filling pressure display setter 11, an injection speed display setter 12, an injection speed changing position display setter 13, and other items. The touch panel 50 is superposed on the face plate 51 of a CRT. The timer display setting member 10 includes a plurality of pressure holding timers TR1, TRH3, TRH2 and TRH1 which are setting items 14 bounded by dot and dash lines, and a plurality of data display digits (in this case 15.0 sec., 2.0 sec., 0.00 sec. and 3.0 sec., respectively representing the times of the timers TR1, . . . TRH1). In a block beneath blocks 14 and 15 are depicted a SLOPE of a holding pressure, pressures held PH4, PH3, PH2, PH1 and final pressure FILP and their values in percentages 20, 60 and 40 of their maximum values. The final pressure FILP is set as 140% because such high pressure is necessary to fill the resin into an intricated mold cavity. Arrows between the blocks show relations among timer times and corresponding pressures to be held. In the row of the injection speed display setters 12 are included pressure HOLD, SLOPE, positions V14, V13, V12 and V11 representing the positions at which the injection speed is changed and speeds in % of the maximum speed at respective positions. In the row beneath the row of the injection speed display setter 12 are shown screw position detection limit switches LS4, LS4C, LS4B, LS4A, LS5, LS10, and strokes 2.0-0.0 and 200.0 each in mm in which 200.0 shows the retracted position of the screw. In the last row are depicted the numbers of screw revolutions SR, screw back pressure BP, metering control condition program PROG, RESIN (raw material code), SLOPE, their values 80, etc., quantity of charge CHARGE, OFF and DROOL which occurs when the nozzle is slightly separated away from the stationary metal mold. It should be understood that these characters except numerical digits designate touch key elements including touch keys, push buttons, etc., and that when these touch keys are operated, items to be set are selected and the numerical data regarding selected items are inputted or changed by a ten key 16 shown in FIG. 6 in which the ten key 16 is contained in the touch panel, that is in the area of face plate 51 of the CRT. In this manner, by selectively operating a desired touch key, the result of the operation can be observed at a glance on the face plate.
Where a ten key on the outside of a CRT is used for effecting setting and changing of the injection speed, pressure, etc., the set data display member 15 and the input member are separated whereby the operativity would be decreased, whereas where the ten key is included in a portion of the transparent touch panel, only the area of the face plate excluding the ten key can be used as the data display area or portion. As a consequence, where it is desired to display all related data on the same face plate, the number of displayed data would be limited.
Where set data of a profile control are displayed by a graphic profile it is easy to sense an image with eyes, but when the graphic profile display is used in common with the set data there has been no method for correlating the display with the setting operation so that it has been impossible to efficiently utilize the effect of the graphic profile display. In an input system utilizing a ten key, even when a set value is changed slightly, all data must be newly inputted. For example, where it is desired to change a setting of 201.5 to 211.5, with a setter of a digital switch system, it is sufficient to change the value of the 10th order of magnitude from 0 to 1. But in an input system utilizing a ten key it is not sufficient to change a desired order of magnitude so that it is necessary to input again all orders of magnitudes resulting in a troublesome setting operation.